http://www.wowheadnews.com/blog=188145/patch-4-2-preview-thralls-return-world-tree-restoration

4.1 isn't even a week old and stuff is already being posted for 4.2? Probably because this was supposed to be 4.1, but eh. I gave up on Blizzard tearing apart their beloved universe many years back, with all they did for WC1 through WC3 being torn apart and reassembled for MMOs and now this feels almost a bit like backpedaling to me. I get the distinct impression Activision is doing the same **** to Blizzard a lot of people do when they find/make a good thing. They abuse the **** out of it until it isn't good anymore and they are left to wonder what happened and where it all went wrong. Making a "WoW-killer" is still a daunting task, but thanks to seeming abuse of the WoW franchise for the sake of stockholder dividends it's probably a lot easier than it was back then. Also Cliffs;

- Thrall dided, seems to make a quest line to "restore" his soul so he can be revived. Sounds like a setup for more patches of content without having to worry about making all new stuff.

- The Blues bicker and fight for a leader, allowing for an "epic" questline to attain a new legendary. A staff from looks of it but will probably have a druid, DPS, and healer flavors.

- AT will return in a new incarnate in Hyjal, using daily quest currency to buy rewards, in the air of staging an assault force on the Firelands.

Also, druids on fire.

Some could say they may attempt to release this alongside the midsummer festival for sake of "lore" but honestly I doubt it. Unless they were working on this pretty much the whole time and 4.1 took so long because everyone was mostly working on 4.2 but I'm skeptical of that.

Preemptive OFN.

The legendary staff will only be suited for dps casters, do some reading.

Well good now we get to hear priest and boomkin crying they don't get a legendary. Moot point I suppose, no matter how "epic" they make the questline sound it won't be able to hold up to the War Effort of AQ. Tedious in gather materials to be thrown into a void of sorts yes, but at least that one you felt you had a hand in those events as a realm community.

When did Thrall die?

Also they said they want to shorten the time between content patches, so they will be more frequent but smaller updates. I wouldn't expect 4.2 before August.

From the sounds of it, there will be some point he is assassinated by some Twilight's Hammer member and his spirit is torn apart and parts of it sent to the four elemental planes. And of course, and most likely, a raid content will ensue where you have to collect and reunite his spirit so he can return to life. I'm calling it though, I think the intend to make it a piece for each of the next four content patches. And then when Thrall will be back for the final content patch of Cataclysm, to challenge Deathwing after you kill off everyone else.

In patch 4.2, level-85 characters will have the opportunity to answer this question and more.

While even the Aspects concede that Thrall may be lost to the elements forever, there is one who still believes that he can be saved from this bleak fate. Aggra, a powerful shaman in her own right, will call upon you to assist her as she travels to the ends of the earth and beyond -- to Skywall, the Abyssal Maw, Deepholm, and Firelands -- to rescue her beloved from an eternity of torment.

Thrall is no ordinary mortal, though, and this will be no ordinary quest. You will not only have to face the denizens of the elemental planes, but the very essence of Thrall himself and everything that has shaped him into the orc he is today. Before you can return his spirit to the natural world, you must overcome his doubts, his willfulness, his desires, and his rage -- for it is these aspects that bind him to his elemental cage.

Thrall's nightmare. hehe

Hmm, I remember a while ago someone saying that Thrall was going to be the new Guardian of Tirisfal. I guess they changed their minds on that one.

Yeah well they did retconn enough stuff in their universe to lose a good deal of integrity but hey as long as the raids get made and enough of a story to cobble it together that works right?

Originally Posted by Fool

Hmm, I remember a while ago someone saying that Thrall was going to be the new Guardian of Tirisfal. I guess they changed their minds on that one.

That was a rumor. Medan is the current Guardian of Tirisfal and wielder of Atiesh. This was established before Cata was announced, so no retcon has taken place.

http://www.wowwiki.com/Med%27an

Originally Posted by WoW-Wiki

It has been stated that Med'an will not appear in World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, as he will be otherwise occupied.

I'm sure they have a lot planned for Thrall, just not that. Probably saving that for the next expansion?

Update: they are nerfing every raid boss/encounter by 20%. Wtf.

http://www.mmo-champion.com/content/...pdate-May-24th

for normal modes only, so the bads can actually raid firelands while its current.

Don't forget they are giving paladins Shield Block and DKs Victory Rush too. Oh and buffing bear damage again before they nerf it (again).

Oh and the whole "plate-wearers won't get dodge from agility anymore" that'll be a fun one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsXglDs81FU

Gonna call it...

- Each element in successive patches will have their shot at Azeroth, each complete with a mini-zone and raid dungeon forcing us into each plane to take the fight to them.

- Each raid will have some sort of story cinematic at the end to gain a piece of Thrall's spirit.

I gave up on lore a long long time again, ever since whoever behind it felt the need to retconn anything to rework it how they see fit. But it does make me wonder, exactly how much of the present raiding population even remotely gives a **** about the stories they make for these raids. I mean lore-nerding aside, they have to make them up to give some kind of point to raiding, but who really cares anymore?

Also they will probably make up ways for Therazane and Neptulon to blame Azeroth for their problems when their respective times roll around.

After listening to Legendary last night I agree completely. Seeing how they dropped Abyssal Maw, 4.3 or whatever patch will be water.

so I heard ragnaros is easymode

Claiming 4.3 will be Abyssal Maw? Well yeah I figured that when they talked about Thrall being assassinated and his spirit split and cast into each of the elemental planes. I figured, "Well, that gives them a reason to put a raid instance in each place." Also it gives them opportunity to do what they did in Firelands three more times. Preemptive strike into the plane, a new zone, progression "gating" through it, etc.

And lore-wise (lol lore...) The elementals did have Azeroth before the titans showed up. And now Deathwing kind of broke the barriers between Azeroth and the prison planes I suppose each element will see it as an opportunity to reclaim what was once theirs. That part never really made sense to me, shamans always commune with and utilize elemental spirits so why would they still be helping them now they have a chance to take their world back? Probably to keep shamans active in the game, along the same lines and Malygos and mages in WotLK.